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The Research and Writing Process: A Step-by-Step Guide: Plagiarism

SFCC Plagiarism Policy

Do not use someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (non-common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source. This definition applies to texts published in print or on-line, to manuscripts, and to the work of other student writers. If you are confused about what constitutes plagiarism, your instructor, a librarian or the Tutoring Center can help.

Academic integrity is a fundamental principle which is important to the College. Students are responsible for ensuring they are honest in their academic pursuits. Academic dishonesty means any behavior that misrepresents or falsifies the student’s knowledge, skills or ability with the goal of unjustified or illegitimate evaluation or gain and includes cheating, plagiarism and falsification of records.

Plagiarism Basics

Plagiarism isn't limited to just the academic world. Check out some of these real-world examples.

Here are some important tips for note taking:

  • Use index cards to keep notes and track sources of information used in your paper.
  • Create numbered Work Cited cards for each source of information.
    • Include all of the citation information (i.e., author, title, publisher, date, page numbers, etc.) you will need to write your Works Cited page.
    • Record the citation information in MLA format. When it comes time to write your Works Cited page, it will be easier to organize your sources alphabetically.
  • On each card:
    • Use only one side to record notes.
    • Record only one idea, fact or quote from one source on a note card. It will be easier to rearrange them later when it comes time to organize your paper.
    • Include a heading for the topic of the card. 
    • Include the original source of the information. If you have created numbered Work Cited cards for each source, you will only need to include the source number.
    • Include the page number where you found the information.
  • Taking notes:
    • Use abbreviations, acronyms, or incomplete sentences to record information (as long you will understand them later). This will speed up the note taking process.
    • Do not write down everything. Extract only the information that answers your research questions
    • Use one of the following note taking forms:
      • Summarize the main idea of the article, then outline its main points.
      • Paraphrase or record notes in your own words.
      • If you plan to use an exact quote, make sure you copy the quotation exactly as it appears in the original source. Enclose the quote in quotation marks and note the name of the person you are quoting.
    • Use symbols, diagrams, charts or drawings to simply and visualize ideas.
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